Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-25
Laws Relating to Railways.

AN ACT to regulate common carriers, and GREAT
ing the railroad and warehouse commission OF
the State OF Minnesota, and defining the duties
OF such commission IN relation to common
carriers.
BE- tt enacted by the Legislature Of the State Of
Minnesota:
sEoT1oss l. (a) That the provisions Of this act
shall apply Go any common carrier or carriers en-
gagged in the transportation Of passengers or
property wholly bv railroad, or partly by rail-
road and partly by water, when both are used
under common control, management or ar
rangement. tor oarriage or shipment from. one
place or station to another, both being within
the State OF Minnesota
Provided, That nothing in this act shall ap-
ply to street railways Or to the carriage storage
or handling by any common carrier, OF property,
tree or at reduced rates FOR the United States,
or for the State Of Minnesota, or for any munich
pal government or corporation within the state,
or tor any charitable purpose, or to or from fairs
and expositions for exhibition thereaJ. Tor stock
for breeding pnrposes). OF to the issuance OF
ea dEes n Taes ae e 1T I'll r. fo
poroatlon Of stock shipped with cars, and moth
ing IN the provisions Of this act shall he con-
strued 70 prevent common carriers, subject to
the provisions Of this act, from issuing passes
for the free transportation OF passengers
% The te ~ railroad as used in this act shall
include all bridges or ferries used or operated in
connection with any railroad, and also all the
road in nse by any corporation operating a rail-
road whether owned or operated under con-
tract, agreement or lease: and tue term trans
po1ssIion" shall include all lnstrumentslitiea of
shiItfaent or carriage.
SEC g (a That all charges made by any
comm on carrier subject to the provisions Of this
The transportation Of passengers or property as
aforesaid. Or in connection Herewith, or fer the
receiving, delivering, storage or handling Of
and every unequal and unreasonable charge tor
such service is prohibited and declared to be un-
lawful.
Provided, That one car load % freight of anv
kind or class shall be transported at rs low a
rate per tom and Per ton per mile. as anv greater
number OF car loads OF TIE same kind and class
from and to the same points OF origination and
(o) It shall DO unlawful for any common car
rer subject to the provisions Of this act to make
or advantage to any particular person,
any particular ' description Of f's ssatfic'
in auy respect whatsoever, or to sub
ject any particular person, company, firm,
corporation, or locality. Or any particular de-
scriptlon VI traffic, to any unequal or unreaeon-
able prejudice Or disadvantage in any respect
whatsoever.
SEC. 3. (a) That all common carriers srbject
to the provsions,.of this aot shall, according to
their respective powers provide at the point OF
connection, crossing or intersection, ample
facilities for transferring cars, a,.I tor ac-
colnInodatlng and transferring Passengers, and
traffic CT ell kinds md classes, from their lines
or tracks, to those OF any other comuon carrier
whose lines Or tracks may connect with, or
intersecc their own, and snail afford all equal and
reasonable facilities for the Interchange Of cars
anu lIhl1!G DetW"cu lines, 1Ql
le receiving, forwarding and delivering OF PASS
enEers and property and cal to and from theil
several lines and those Of other comtuon carriers
connecting thercwith, and shah not discriminate
IN their rates and charges betw such connect.
ing lines, OF on frelghts coming over slch lines
but this shall not BE- cjnstrue4 as requiring any
common carrier to use for another common
carrier its tracks. equipments terminal tuCil-
tiles wit bout reasonable compensation.
90, That it shall ue uniuwful for any common
carrier, subject to the provisions Of this act, tc
init JrE
Inent, expressed or implied, to prevent, br
change OF time schedule, by carriage in dit
fe:ent cars, by any other means OF Devices the
riage freight from eirgr iuuou from he
place 1T shipment to the place OF Gieat tiuatio
and no break of bulk, stoppage or Interruption
made by such comulon carrier sh,ll prevent the
carriage OF freight from being treated us ont
continuous carriage from the place Of shipment
TO the place Of destination, unless such break
stoppage or interruption was made in good faith
for some necessary purpose and without any in
tent to avoid or unnecessarily interrupt such
continuous carriage or to eyade any OF the pro-
visions nf this act.
In this state shall, without unreasonable delay,
furnish. start and run cars for the transportation
! OF persons aad property, which within reason
able time tnretcforc is offered for transDOrCaton
! at any Of It's statiors Oh It's line OF road and
at the functions Of other railroads. and at Rucl
s5opping places as may be established for re-
| ceiving and dischargl1g passengers and freights
and shall take, receive, transport and discharge
| srch passengers and property at, from aad to
such stations, functions and places. en- and from
all trains advertised to stop OF the same for pas
| sengcrs and freights, respectively. upon the due
payment tender OF pay yment Of tolls, freight
| fare therefor, II such payment is demanded
| Every such common carrier shall permit COnnsc-
| rions to be made and maintained in a reasonable
! manner with its side TRACKS to and from an
warehouse. elevator or manufactory without
reference to Its size or capacity: provided, that
this SHALL not be onstrued so as to require anv
any side track IF from it's own land;
provided further. that where stations are ten 40
miles or more apart the common carrier. when
required to dc SO by the railroad and warehouse
| commissioners, shall construct and maintain a
! side track for the use OF shippers between such
! stations
| ld) Whenever any property is received by any
common carrier subject to the provisions OF this
act, TO be transported froni one place to another
within this state, it shall b. unlawful for such
! common carrier to limit in any way, except as
stated in It's classification schedule, hereinafter
| provided for, its common law liability with
! reference to such property while in its custody
! as a common carlier, (as hereinbetore men
toued,) such liability must include the absolute
responsibility o? the common carrier for the acts
| Of it's agents in relation to such property:
| SEC. l. That it shall be unlawful for any
common carrier subject to the provisions Of this
| act, to enter into any contract agreement, OF
carriers for the division Or pooling OF business OF
different anti competing railroads, or tC
| divide between them the aggregate or net pro-
! ceeds of the earnings of such railroads, or any
portion thereof and in case OF an agreement fol
The pooling Of their bniness aforesaid, each day
| az its continuance shall be deemed separate
SEC s. That If any common carrier, subjec,
to the provisions Of this act, shall, directly ol
Indirectly, by any special rate, rebate, drawbacks
or other device charge, demand, eoiiat or receive
from any person or persons greater or less com.
pensation for any service rendered or to be rem
dered, iu the transportation OF persons or prop
erty. subject to the provisions of this act, than
| it charges, demands, collects or receives from
any other person Or.persens for doing for him Ol
them q like and conteInperaneous service in the
Transportation OF pRsSengerS or property, such
| common carrier shalt be deemed guilty Of unjust
| discrimination. which is hereby prohibited and
| declared to be unlawful
mon carrier, subject to the provisions Of this act
| TO charge or receive any greater compensation
| for the transportation OF passengers or of like
kind or class snd Quantity OF prorerty for q
line, the shorter being Included within ths
longer distance; but this shall not be construed
tho provisions Of this aot to charge or receive
great compensation tor = shorter as Tor Longer
I diatanc6.. =, -'
Provided. however, That upon application tc
the commission appointed under tho provisions
Of this act. such common carrier may, In specia
caaea after Investigation by tho commissioners
be authorized to charge iesa, for langer than 70,
seneers or property: and the Commission may
from time 10 time prescribe the extent to which
such designated comm9n carrter may be relieved
from the operation OF this section Of this aot
SEQ 2. lal That tt shall be unlawf1l for any
common carrier, subject to the provisions OF
this net. TO ch&rge or receive any greater COM
pansatton, per ton, per mile, for the contempor,
aEeqas transportation oY the same class Of
helght Tor ioager than for shorter distance
over the same nae In the same general direction
OF from the same original point Of departure,
to the same point Of arrival: bpt this shall not
be cgnstrued as authorixlnz any common car
rieF. snbjecs 10 the provisions Of this act, ia
charge Al high rate per ton, per mile, for a
1onger M Tor = shorter disssuce. ~
4b) Wherever any railway company doing
business In this state shall be unab,e, from any
reasonable Cause 70 furnish cars at any ilway
station or side track. In accordance 1Eh she de-
NaAnd4 mAde by al peHsons demanding. cars at